Electric sadiron



June s; 1943.

B'. G. oLvlNG y 2,321,509

ELECTRIC SADIRON I Filed Sept. 18. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l ATTORNEY June8, 1943. Egg, oLvlNG v 2,321,509

A I ELECTRIQ SADIRoN I Filed sept. 1s, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTURNEYPatented June 8, 1943 2,321,509 ELECTRIC SADIRON Bror G. Giving, Elgin,

Electric Company, El

Delaware Ill., assignor to McGraw gin, lill., a corporation ofApplication September 18, 194i, Serial No. 411,304

(Cl. SS-W) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to electric sadirons. The main object of myinvention is to provide an electrically heated sadiron comprising meansfor maintaining the temperature of the cover at a relatively low value.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric sadiron inwhich .the cover is-so designed and constructed as to operate at arelatively low temperature either during actual use thereof or duringthe periods of non-use thereof when set up on its heel rest.

Another object of my invention is to provide heat-dissipating meansclosely associated with the cover to reduce the temperature of the coverduring the time that the electric heating element of the iron isenergized, said heat-dissipating means being useable also as a heelrest.

Other objects of my invention will either be apparent from a descriptionof one form lof electric sadiron embodying my invention or will bepointed out in the course of such description and set forth in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an electric iron embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical-sectionalview through such an iron,

Fig. 3is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof taken on the line 3 3of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation of an iron embodying my invention,and,

Fig. .5 is a view in side elevation showing the iron on its heel rest.

The tendency of recent years in the design of electric sadirons has beentolincrease the amount of energy which is to be translated intoy heat bythe heating element of an electric sadiron and since there arerelatively well dened limits as to the size of such irons, there hasbeen a tendency for the cover of such irons to operate at relativelyhigh temperatures.v It isof course, obvious that a stable condition asto the temperature of the cover of a sadiron will be estab lished whenthe amount of heat radiated or otherwise disposed of or lost by thecover equals substantially the amount of heat received by said cover.One of the attendant circumstances of interest in this desired ilxationof a relatively low temperature in the cover is rst to reduce the amountof heat which reaches the cover, either by conduction, by convectioncurrents of heated air or by radiation from the heated body. Folspacesand I may use a mixture lowing this another important element is that ofproviding means to dissipate whatever heat is actually received in theaforesaid dierent ways l5 bythe cover 'and it will be noted from thedrawings and the description thereof that I have constructed an electriciron embodying such means.

I have shown an electrically heated sadiron II as comprising asole-plate I3 which may have a recessed upper face adapted to receive anelectrically-insulated electric heating element I5 which may be of theusual or desired kind and may be constructed, for illustrative purposesonly, to include an upper and a lower sheet of mica having placedtherebetween a third sheet of mica having a resistor wrappedtherearound, allA as now well known in the art. My iron may include alsoa top or clamping plate Il and any suitable or desired means forensuring close engagement between the soleplate I3 and the heatingelement I6 may be used, plate I1 tightly heater I5. The considered toconstitute the heated body hereinparticularly in holding the top againstthe upper surface of after referred to.

I provide a `novel form of 4cover I9 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, is made relatively thick in contradlstinction to the usualcover or shell of relatively thin sheet metal. I prefer also to ,makethe cover I9 of a metal or metal alloy having high heat conductivity fora purpose which will hereinafter appear. The general shape of the coverI9 is along relatively standard lines at the front portion and ofsubstantially the .main part of its length but I prefer to have the rearend portion 2i extended beyond the rear end portion of the heated body.Terminal leads 23 of the heating element I5 may extend beyond the rearend of the heated body and be connected with terminals 25, only one ofwhich is shown in the drawings.

In order to reduce the amount of heat reaching cover I9 from the heatedbody I nrst of all provide a mass 21 of a suitable heat insulatingmaterial particularly resistant to high temperature and therefore havinga multitude of minute air of material, wool, glass and diatomaceousearth. `I may state that I prefer such a mixture but may also use othermaterials such as magnesia carbonate, rock wool. glass wool or othersimilar typesof heat insulating material. At present I prefer the rstnamed mixture because of its high thermal resistivity combined with arelatively high resistance to accidental -impact and its ilexibility.

'The support for the cover may include a pair of supporting brackets 2land II which may be o! substantially U-shape in general outline, the

elements I3, I5 and I1 may be I 2 j lower end portions beingheat-insulatedly mounted on the top plate I1. For this purpose I may usea short machine screw 33 adapted to have screw-threaded engagement withthe top plate, washers of heat-insulating material being placed betweenthe end portions of the supports 29 and `3I and the `top plate as wellas the securing screw 33. The intermediate 'portion of the members 29and V3| maybe .secured against the under surface of the mid portions ofthe cover as by short machine screws 31. lIt will be noted that theactual area'of engagement between the bracket supportingl members' 29and 3| and the inside surface of the coverl isl made relatively smallwhereby the thermal reluctance of the heat flow path from the top plateI1 to the cover I9 is made relatively high.

I may further point out here that the cover is supported in the mannershown in the drawings and described above out of contact with the heatedbody and particularly with the soleplate I3.

I provide further a plurality of fins 39 which are' preferably madeintegral with the rear end portion of the cover I9 and I wish to pointout that, referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the normallower edges of the ilns 39 are open or unobstructed as regards the ow ofcooling air between the spaced fins 39. It is to be noted furtherthatthe upperor combination rear and partially arcuate upper surfaces ofthe fins 39 are also free and unobstructed so that any convectioncurrents of air will follow substantially the normal path, namely,upwardly, as shown by the arrow 4 I, during all the time that the ironis in its normal ironing position, shown in Fig, 2 of the drawings,either while it is stationary, as may occur for a short interval oftime, or while it is being moved forward and backward as in ironing.

I wish to point out also that a part of the forward edge surfaces of thens 39 is also open and unobstructed, this portion being indicated bynumeral 43, in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In order to provide a. surface adapted to be engaged with the rear end'portion of a handle 45, the fins 39 are united at their upper lefthandedges, as is shown by element 41, the inclined rear end portion of thehandle 45 being secured against member 41 by screws 49. The

'front end portion of handle 45 ends in a depending supporting memberBI'adapted to engage the outside surface of the front portion of coverI9 andbe held thereaginst by a screw 53.

One or more of the intermediate fins are provided with extensions 55projecting outwardly beyond the limit of the ns 39, these projectionsbeing located near the upper ends of the f'lns. I provide alsoprojections 51 near the lower end of the outermost or limiting fins 59near the lower end thereof so that the two pairs of projections 55 and51 will cooperate to constitute a heel rest for the iron.

I have illustrated in Figs. l and 4 of the drawings one method ofbringing out a twin conductor cord 6I at the rear end of one side of theiron and I may use an elongated rubber bushing 53 properly secured tothe housing to protect the cord 59, all in a manner well known in theart. `It is to be understood that the inner ends of the cord 59 areconnected to the terminal members 25,

I have shown, generally only, a thermostatic control switch 65 mountedon the top plate I1 and embedded in and covered by the mass 21 ofheat-insulating material. An upwardly extendsubstantially asv the spacedns surface of mass 21, cooling lng rod 61 is mechanically connected withthe thermally-controlled switch 65 and may be adjusted'by Van arm 69 toset the temperature at which the thermally-controlled switch 65 willopen the heater circuit.

As is evident from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the .path of the coolingairnormally flowing between Y has a relatively large proportion of thetotal peripheral area of the outer edges of therflns open andunobstructed so that a relatively large amount of air will flowupwardly. I have illustrated by arrow 1I the path of air flowing betweenthe ns while the iron is' moved forwardly and it is obvious, of course,that air will flow in a substantially horizontal path when the iron ismoved backwardly, this flow of air leaving the spaces between the finsat part 43.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings Il have illustrated, generally only,the path of flow of the cooling air between the fins when the iron isplaced on its heel rest and since the cover I9 is' spaced anAappreciable distance from the upper air will also flow in the spacebetween mass 21 and the inside surface of cover I9.

I have already stated that I prefer to use a metal or an alloy havinghigh heat conductivity and-for illustrative purposes I prefer to usealuminum or copper. I further prefer to make the fins integral with therelatively heavy cover and one method of doing this is by the so-calleddie casting method.

I may also roughen the surface of the fins whereby the heat-dissipatingeffect of the fins in combination with the convection currents of airhereinbefore referred to, is materially increased, The amount of heatradiated by the outermost roughened surfaces of the fins is alsoappreciably increased by the roughening of the surface thereof. It willthus be noticed that I first of all provide a sadlron structure in whichthe amount of heat reaching the cover from the heated body is greatlyreduced and further in which the cover is provided with means of aheat-dissipating nature at a part thereof away from and preferably inthe rear of the heated body for drawing heat from the cover anddissipatingit into the ambient atmosphere during usey or non-use of theiron. Various modifications may be made in the structure embodying myinvention and all such modifications clearly coming within the scope ofthe appended claims are to be considered as being covered thereby.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric iron comprising a heated body, a relatively thickmetallic cover thereover spaced from the body and having integraltherewith and extending over and beyond the rear end portion of thecover a plurality of spaced heat-dissipating fins extendingsubstantially at right angles relatively to the outer surface of thecover, the spaces between the :Iins being open over the major portion oftheir outer periphery and at their front vedges to cause a current ofcooling air to flow between said fins and cool said cover.

2. An iron as set forth in claim 1 in which certain of the ns haveprojecting lugs thereon spaced from each other and cooperating to form aheel rest for said iron.

3. An electric iron comprising a heated body, a cover thereover spacedtherfrom and having secured thereto an air cooled heat-dissipating meanscomprising a plurality of normally vertimay state that I caemos l 3 dlehaving its iront end portion secured to the cover and a plurality oi'vertical heat-dissipating ilns secured to the rear end portion of thecover to overlap the rear end portion and' extend rearwsrdly thereof andmeans directly securing the l rear end portion of the handle to saidplurality oi' dns. BROR. G. OLVING`

